The most famous places in Los Angeles are the Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, Rodeo Drive, the Getty Center, Universal Studios Hollywood, Downtown LA, and the LACMA and La Brea Tar Pits area. A good pick is iconic, easy to reach, and worth the time it costs you in traffic. First-timers should start with Hollywood and the coast. Film fans should add Universal. Art and architecture lovers should add the Getty and Downtown. On a tight budget, the Walk of Fame, Venice Beach, Griffith Observatory and the Getty Center all charge no admission.
Los Angeles covers hundreds of square miles and has no single center. The famous places sit in different neighborhoods, some of them 45 minutes apart in traffic, so a list of names does not tell you what to combine and what to skip.
This guide takes ten places in rough order of fame. For each one you get why it matters, what to do there, and the practical numbers: cost, time needed, best time and what to pair it with. We have guided visitors around the city since 2007 at Another Side Of Los Angeles Tours, so the notes come from seeing these places constantly, not from a brochure.
1. Hollywood Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre
Why it is famous
Most visitors picture this place first. The Walk of Fame runs along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street and holds more than 2,700 pink terrazzo stars. A brass emblem on each star tells you whether the honoree worked in film, television, recording, radio or live performance.
Just steps away, TCL Chinese Theatre opened in 1927 as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Its forecourt still holds the hand and footprints of stars set in cement, and the theater still hosts premieres. Next door, the Dolby Theatre is where the Oscars are held.
The Walk of Fame is free and always open, which makes it the cheapest famous place on this list.
What to do there
Start by hunting for a few stars you actually care about, then match each emblem to its category. An hour covers the busiest blocks around Hollywood and Highland. Go early, because costumed characters and street vendors get more persistent as the crowds build.
- Find the stars of two or three favorite artists and read the emblems
- Fit your hands into the prints in the Chinese Theatre forecourt
- See a film or join a theater tour if one is running, to get inside the auditorium
How to visit it
The sidewalks cost nothing, so the only spend is a guide or a movie ticket. If you want the stories behind the stars, The Famous Hollywood Tour is a private two-hour ride through Hollywood and the Sunset Strip that covers the Hollywood Sign, the Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre. It costs $199 per guest with a two-guest minimum, and parties of 3 or more save $25 per guest. For a group of four, that is $174 each, or $696 in total.
- Cost: free for the sidewalk and forecourt
- Time needed: 1 to 2 hours
- Best time: early morning or a weekday
- Pairs with: the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory
2. Hollywood Sign
Why it is famous
Few landmarks started as an advertisement. The sign was built in 1923 to read HOLLYWOODLAND and promote a housing development, and the last four letters came down in 1949. Today the 45-foot-tall letters on Mount Lee in Griffith Park are what most people name when asked for the most famous thing in Los Angeles.
You cannot walk up and touch the letters, because the area around them is fenced off. What you get is a view or a hike to a vantage point near them, and each option suits a different traveler.
Plan to see the sign, not touch it, and pick the viewpoint that matches your energy.
What to do there
There are three realistic ways to see it, and the effort differs a lot. On any hike, bring water and a hat, because the trails have little shade.
- Easiest: look up from the Hollywood and Highland shopping center on the Walk of Fame
- Best photo: Lake Hollywood Park, with a lawn for a picnic
- Active: a Griffith Park trail to a closer view, or a guided hike
How to visit it
For a guided option, Beyond The Billboards is a private two-hour hike toward the sign from the Lake Hollywood Reservoir trail, with panoramic views over the city. It costs $149 per guest, needs two guests minimum, and takes $20 off each guest for parties of 3 or more. Three guests pay $129 each, or $387 in total. In summer, choose the morning if you can.
- Cost: free to view; the guided hike is $149 per guest
- Time needed: 20 minutes at a viewpoint, about 2 hours for a hike
- Best time: morning, when it is cooler and the air is clearer
- Pairs with: Griffith Observatory
3. Griffith Observatory
Why it is famous
Griffith Observatory is the domed Art Deco landmark on the slope of Mount Hollywood, open since 1935. Admission is free, which surprises many first-timers, and its terrace looks over the basin from downtown to the ocean on a clear day.
Film fans know it from Rebel Without a Cause and La La Land. Everyone else knows it as the best free view in the city, with the Hollywood Sign in the distance.
The view is the main attraction, and it costs nothing.
What to do there
Aim to arrive about an hour before sunset. You see the city in daylight, watch the light turn gold, and stay for the skyline after dark. Inside, the exhibits explain astronomy clearly, and the Foucault pendulum in the central rotunda deserves a few minutes.
- Look through the public telescopes on clear evenings when the observatory is open
- Watch a planetarium show, which is ticketed, so check availability
- Walk the terrace for photos of the skyline and the sign
How to visit it
Check the schedule first, because the observatory is closed on Mondays and hours change. Parking is limited and fills quickly on weekends, so an early arrival or a rideshare saves real time.
- Cost: free admission; planetarium shows are ticketed
- Time needed: about 2 hours
- Best time: late afternoon through sunset on a clear day
- Pairs with: the Walk of Fame or a Hollywood Sign viewpoint
4. Santa Monica Pier
Why it is famous
Santa Monica Pier opened in 1909 and is now the postcard image of the Southern California coast. Pacific Park, the amusement area on the pier, has a solar-powered Ferris wheel, and a sign near the pier marks the western end of Route 66.
Nobody comes for one ride. The appeal is the pier, the beach and the sunset together, with the ocean on one side and the city on the other.
Go for the sunset, not the rides.
What to do there
Ride the Ferris wheel for the ocean view, walk to the end of the pier, then spend time on the sand. The Third Street Promenade, a pedestrian shopping street, sits a few blocks inland. A rented bike takes you south along the beach path toward Venice.
- Ride the Ferris wheel or just watch the ocean from the pier
- Rent a bike and ride the beach path south
- Walk the Third Street Promenade for shops, cafes and street performers
How to visit it
The LA Highlights Tour is the easiest way to see the coast and the city in one day. This semi-private, approximately 7-hour tour covers Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Hollywood and Beverly Hills, with a lunch break at the Farmers Market. It costs $249 per guest and requires three guests minimum. Parties of 3 or more save $15 per guest, so three guests pay $234 each, or $702. Pickup within 5 miles of the office adds $20 per guest, which brings that group to $762.
- Cost: the pier is free; rides are priced individually
- Time needed: 2 to 3 hours
- Best time: late afternoon, since May and June mornings are often cloudy
- Pairs with: Venice Beach, a few miles south
5. Venice Beach
Why it is famous
Venice Beach is where Los Angeles shows off its eccentric side. Abbot Kinney founded Venice in 1905 as a seaside resort modeled on Venice, Italy, and the canals he dug survive in a quiet residential pocket a few blocks from the sand.
Today the draw is Ocean Front Walk, a beachfront boardwalk packed with street performers, vendors and artists. The Muscle Beach outdoor gym and the skate park add to a scene that is half beach, half open-air show.
Venice is a place to watch people, so walk it slowly.
What to do there
Start on the boardwalk, then turn inland to see the canals, which feel like another city. Abbot Kinney Boulevard has independent shops and cafes, and it is a good place to eat after the beach.
- Watch skaters at the Venice skate park
- Look in on the outdoor weight pen at Muscle Beach
- Walk the canals, keeping to the public paths
- Browse Abbot Kinney Boulevard for lunch
How to visit it
Pair Venice with Santa Monica, and add Malibu if you have time. The Ultimate Coastal Tour is a private, approximately four-hour tour of Santa Monica, Venice Beach and Malibu with a guide who explains each stop. It costs $299 per guest, needs a two-guest minimum, and parties of 3 or more save $25 per guest. A couple pays $598 in total. If you prefer to ride, guided e-bike tours also run through Santa Monica and Venice.
- Cost: free
- Time needed: about 2 hours
- Best time: late morning to sunset
- Pairs with: Santa Monica Pier
6. Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive
Why it is famous
Beverly Hills is the world’s shorthand for luxury, and Rodeo Drive is its main street. The designer boutiques draw crowds even when visitors buy nothing, and the Beverly Hills sign in Beverly Gardens Park is a quick, free photo stop.
Beyond the shopping, the Beverly Hills Hotel, nicknamed the Pink Palace, has hosted film stars since it opened in 1912. The streets in the hills nearby hold some of the best-known celebrity homes in the city.
Beverly Hills rewards a guide, because the best stories sit behind hedges and gates.
What to do there
Window-shop Rodeo Drive in the morning, when it is calm. Do not count on spotting a celebrity. Most homes are hidden behind hedges and gates, so a guide who knows which streets matter will teach you more than a map. Stop at the sign before the crowds arrive.
- Stroll Rodeo Drive
- Photograph the Beverly Hills sign in Beverly Gardens Park
- Look at the Pink Palace from the street
- Take a celebrity homes tour for the stories behind the properties
How to visit it
Two of our tours cover Beverly Hills well. The Celebrity Homes Tour is a private two-hour tour of Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Hollywood with transportation included. It costs $199 per guest, and parties of 3 or more save $25 per guest.
For a wider day, The Ultimate Hollywood Tour is a private four-hour tour that combines Hollywood and Beverly Hills, including the Hollywood Sign, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and Rodeo Drive. It costs $299 per guest with a two-guest minimum, and round-trip transportation from a pickup point within 10 miles of the office is included. A family of four pays $274 each after the group discount, or $1,096 in total.
- Cost: free to walk
- Time needed: 1 to 2 hours
- Best time: morning
- Pairs with: the Getty Center, a short drive away
7. The Getty Center
Why it is famous
The Getty Center is the hilltop art museum in Brentwood, opened in 1997. It is a campus of travertine-clad buildings designed by architect Richard Meier, reached by a short tram ride from the parking garage. Admission is free.
Visitors come for the architecture and views as much as the collection, which includes Van Gogh’s Irises. The Central Garden, designed by artist Robert Irwin, is a living artwork in its own right.
Treat the Getty as a half-day outing, because the grounds are as good as the galleries.
What to do there
Spend your first hour outside on the terraces and in the garden, then go in for the art. The view of the city and, on clear days, the ocean is part of the visit. The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades is a separate Roman-style museum on the coast with its own reservation system, so plan it as a different trip.
- Ride the tram up the hill
- Walk the Central Garden
- See Irises and the European paintings
- Look back over the city from the terrace
How to visit it
Reserve a free timed-entry ticket on the Getty’s website before you go, and check current rules for your date. The museum charges for parking, not admission, so budget for the garage. Private tours of the Getty Center are listed on our private tours page if you would rather have a guide and transportation.
- Cost: free admission; parking is paid
- Time needed: 3 to 4 hours
- Best time: a clear day, ideally in the afternoon
- Pairs with: Santa Monica or Beverly Hills
8. Universal Studios Hollywood
Why it is famous
Universal Studios Hollywood is both a theme park and a working film studio, which is why it ranks so high on visitor lists. The Studio Tour, a tram ride of about an hour through sets and back lots, is the part you cannot get at a standard theme park.
Rides and themed lands add to the pull: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Springfield from The Simpsons, and Super Nintendo World, which opened in 2023. The park sits just north of the Hollywood Hills in Universal City.
Universal is a full-day commitment, so give it a day of its own.
What to do there
Head to the headline attractions first, before the lines build. The Studio Tour and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey are the two most-recommended rides. Super Nintendo World is worth it for the set design even if you do not play games.
- Take the Studio Tour early, before the afternoon queues
- Ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Walk through Super Nintendo World
- Eat at Universal CityWalk, which is outside the gates
How to visit it
Buy tickets in advance for your date, because popular days sell out and prices vary by date, so check the official site. An express pass is optional if you hate lines.
Disneyland is a different trip. It is in Anaheim, in Orange County, about an hour or more by car in traffic, and it needs a full day of its own.
- Cost: ticketed; prices vary by date
- Time needed: 6 to 8 hours
- Best time: a weekday, arriving at opening
- Pairs with: dinner at CityWalk, nothing else
9. Downtown Los Angeles
Why it is famous
Downtown Los Angeles is where the city keeps its architecture, its oldest markets and several cultural landmarks. Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank Gehry and opened in 2003, is the stainless-steel icon of the skyline and home to the LA Philharmonic.
Nearby, Grand Central Market has been feeding the city since 1917, and The Broad offers free general admission to its contemporary art collection. Union Station, opened in 1939, is still a working station with Mission Revival and Art Deco details.
Downtown is the walkable part of Los Angeles, so treat it as a half day on foot.
What to do there
Begin with breakfast at Grand Central Market, then walk up Grand Avenue to the concert hall and The Broad. The Bradbury Building, finished in 1893, has a famous interior court, and Olvera Street, the city’s oldest street, sits near Union Station.
- Eat at Grand Central Market
- Photograph Walt Disney Concert Hall
- Visit The Broad and check its website for timed entry
- Walk Olvera Street near Union Station
How to visit it
Plan the route in order, and use Metro or a rideshare for the longer hops. Private tours of Downtown are among the options on our private tours page. Some areas are best crossed by car, so ask a guide or hotel which routes to avoid on foot.
- Cost: free to walk; museums and tours vary
- Time needed: 3 to 5 hours
- Best time: weekday mornings
- Pairs with: Little Tokyo or Chinatown
10. LACMA and the La Brea Tar Pits
Why it is famous
LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, and its most famous piece is outside. Urban Light, Chris Burden’s installation of more than 200 restored antique street lamps, stands at the Wilshire Boulevard entrance and is free to see at any hour.
Next door, the La Brea Tar Pits are where asphalt has trapped Ice Age animals for tens of thousands of years, and fossils are still being excavated. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures sits beside LACMA and adds a film-lover’s stop.
Urban Light is the free photo, and the tar pits are the surprise.
What to do there
Photograph Urban Light at golden hour or after dark, when the lamps glow. Then walk into the park for the mammoth sculptures at the Lake Pit and the Page Museum’s fossils. The Original Farmers Market and The Grove are nearby for lunch.
- See the mammoth sculptures at the Lake Pit
- View the fossils at the Page Museum
- Visit the Academy Museum if you love movies
- Eat at the Original Farmers Market
How to visit it
Segway tours run along Miracle Mile, Wilshire Boulevard and the La Brea Tar Pits, a fun way to cover the stretch without walking it. Our Segway page lists the routes and prices. Museums need tickets, but Urban Light and the outdoor grounds do not.
- Cost: Urban Light is free; museums and the Page Museum are ticketed
- Time needed: 2 to 4 hours
- Best time: late afternoon into the evening
- Pairs with: The Grove and the Original Farmers Market
How to choose your stops
The famous places in Los Angeles fall into clusters, and the best trips pick one or two clusters a day instead of chasing all ten. Hollywood gives you the Walk of Fame, the Chinese Theatre, the sign and Griffith Observatory. The coast gives you Santa Monica and Venice. Beverly Hills and the Getty share the Westside, Downtown and the Miracle Mile reward walkers, and Universal deserves a day by itself.
If you would rather not drive between them, compare our Los Angeles sightseeing tours to see which routes, durations and prices fit your group. The team can also build a custom plan around the places you care about most.
